What would happen if an Eastern Catholic took Orthodox communion

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We’re all sinners and I’m certain all of us have behaved inapproriately as Catholics. I’m reminded of the following…

*And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” *She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”
- John 8:7-11
 
The Orthodox Church does not allow anyone to receive Holy Communion who is not a member of the Orthodox Church. That is a principle that it enunciates time and again.

FYI, I was once invited by an Orthodox to receive Communion in his Church. And I would not because I know what the rules are. It serves no one to break those rules.

There are Eastern Catholics who don’t see any insurmountable differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy (I am one of them).

But to think that just because there is more that unites us than divides us this means inter-communion is allowed - that is not an “Eastern” approach to church unity, if you will.

Church unity and full communion is a sacramental/mystic reality. Both Catholic and Orthodox Churches maintain they are the true continuation of the undivided Catholic Church of the Apostles.

Until such time that the impasse can be resolved and that mystical communion can be re-established, Catholics must respect the rules laid down by the Orthodox Church in this regard.

The only other alternative is to become an Orthodox Christian.

Alex
 
ukrrom said:
and perhaps this is the reason why so many Orthodox parishes are closing is that the people refuse to accept the changes that must happen to keep getting new members.
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Now how did that Vatican II thing work out for you guys?
Nothing major just simple changes such as allowing Catholics to receive.
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You are apparently unaware of your own church’s catechism, which allows only for dire emergencies in this regard. Otherwise, you are to seek out a priest with whom your bishop is in communion.

Even the a glance at the pew missals in the Roman churches say that Orthodox should respect the wishes of their bishops, which means that they shouldn’t receive communion in any papal church, even one that uses the Orthodox liturgy.
Sounds a bit two faced to me when Orthodox come to our priests for communion
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…Which is an act of schism from the Orthodox Church.
and yet we are given the cold shoulder.
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…because you are in schism from the Orthodox Church.
 
Perhaps the jab about Vatican II was unfair.

But the facts remain that we are not in communion and until – if – that is resolved our Churches mutually consider each other to be in schism, no matter how nicely Catholic apologists package it.

**EDIT: **Just to be clear, I’m not one of those who thinks our differences are irreconcilable. They just aren’t reconciled, as of yet.
 
ukrrom said:
Hello, what would happen if an eastern catholic took communion in the Orthodox church without the Orthodox priest knowing they were not Orthodox.? What would a Eastern catholic priest think of this?.
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That would be disrespectful to the priest, his congregation, and that branch of Orthodoxy. Please dont commune unless you ask the priest first and he gives you the go ahead.

I would anticipate any Eastern Catholic priest will tell you the same.
 
Agabus said:
…because you are in schism from the Orthodox Church.
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Most of the world is in schism from either the Catholic or the Orthodox Church - and from God altogether.

Perhaps we ought to stop pointing fingers at each other and work together, whenever possible, to show them that Christ is truly risen (Christos Voskrese)!
 
You did not answer when I said people at my church claimed they didnt need to go to confession because they dont sin and how I said that I am the only person that does so in my parish community.I have delt with the communion issue and have decided to go to a roman church because I learned that kind of behavior would be unexeptable to my own churches rules. As far as everyone that still keeps belittling me I think you should be ashamed because where I come from and the parish I come I can honestly say that I am the most devote young person that attends.If you met me in person I bet youd come to the same conclusion.
 
It seem that nobody posted a link here to the Vatican.

Directory For The Application Of Principles And Norms On Ecumenism
  1. Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for any Catholic for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick from a minister of an Eastern Church.[Cf. *CIC, can. 844, 2 and *CCEO, *can. 671, 2.]
  2. Since practice differs between Catholics and Eastern Christians in the matter of frequent communion, confession before communion and the Eucharistic fast, care must be taken to avoid scandal and suspicion among Eastern Christians through Catholics not following the Eastern usage. A Catholic who legitimately wishes to communicate with Eastern Christians must respect the Eastern discipline as much as possible and refrain from communicating if that Church restricts sacramental communion to its own members to the exclusion of others.
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html
 
ukrrom said:
Hello, what would happen if an eastern catholic took communion in the Orthodox church without the Orthodox priest knowing they were not Orthodox.? What would a Eastern catholic priest think of this?.
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The official position is, from canon law, pretty much, “If the Orthodox priest knowingly invites you to communion, it’s fine.”

The corollary is, “Unless permitted knowingly by the priest, do not attempt to receive.”
 
Aramis said:
The official position is, from canon law, pretty much, “If the Orthodox priest knowingly invites you to communion, it’s fine.”

The corollary is, “Unless permitted knowingly by the priest, do not attempt to receive.”
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Well put Aramis! Christos Anesti!
 
Vico said:
It seem that nobody posted a link here to the Vatican.

Directory For The Application Of Principles And Norms On Ecumenism
  1. Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for any Catholic for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick from a minister of an Eastern Church.[Cf. *CIC,
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can. 844, 2 and *CCEO, *can. 671, 2.]
  1. Since practice differs between Catholics and Eastern Christians in the matter of frequent communion, confession before communion and the Eucharistic fast, care must be taken to avoid scandal and suspicion among Eastern Christians through Catholics not following the Eastern usage. A Catholic who legitimately wishes to communicate with Eastern Christians must respect the Eastern discipline as much as possible and refrain from communicating if that Church restricts sacramental communion to its own members to the exclusion of others.
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html

Nobody did because everybody knew that is your role! 😃

God bless you!

Alex
 
Aramis said:
The official position is, from canon law, pretty much, “If the Orthodox priest knowingly invites you to communion, it’s fine.”

The corollary is, “Unless permitted knowingly by the priest, do not attempt to receive.”
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And since that is not going to happen . . . 🙂
 
ciero said:
It happens all the time…don’t kid yourself.
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If and when it does happen, the individual Orthodox priest is breaking his own Church’s canon law.

An Orthodox bishop once invited me to receive Communion in his Church. I did not. He himself, holy man that he is, tends to be a bit more “liberal” shall we say in his approach (he is a university professor with a pile of publications to his credit).

I recently met him and asked him if his offer still stood 🙂 .

He smiled and thanked me for not getting him into trouble 😉 He said he had a “moment of weakness” as he liked an akathist I wrote for him :o

True ecumenism is not served at all when we go behind the laws of the Particular Churches, Catholic or Orthodox.

Alex
 
Alexander_Roman said:
And since that is not going to happen . . . 🙂
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It happens fairly often… but it’s not a given.

It can and does happen with the Oriental Orthodox fairly often. The Eastern Orthodox, less so, but even the Russians occasionally make exceptions… quietly.

And in some places, the Melkites and AO make little distinction from each other.

The Russian Patriarchate is probably the strictest; They’ve been known to turn away even their own if not absolutely known to be “orthodox” and “Orthodox” by the cleric. The Kyivan Patriarchate has even tacitly permitted simultaneous celebration with the UGCC. (That is, neither HB Lubomyr nor the KP censured publicly the involved clerics.)

The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox are officially in a limited communion with the Syrian Catholics; the ACE and Chaldean Catholics also are in limited communion. The Armenians even share deacons and minor clerics between their OOC and ECC groups.
 
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